


and i'll always be that short little gloat, always clearing his throat, like he ever had something to say

by Anonymous



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Tales From The SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Cletus and Benjamin are Siblings (Tales from the SMP), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: e004 The Lost City of Mizu, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I COULDNT STOP MYSELF FROM GETTING SOFT AT THE END OKAY, Lowercase, M/M, No Spoilers, Songfic, Web Series: Tales from the SMP, but i dont know if the world is ready for that yet, cletus being reckless again, i just want them to be happy lord please, may write more ricky montgomery songfics in the future i really like his music, pls im just a dumb cletus kinnie w/ lots of love for charles, so we're settling for mild angst and mild emotional hurt/comfort, song: snow (ricky montgomery), that's what sparked the argument lmao, to be honest i wanted to make it hurt more than this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29283999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: it's cold outside. and it's even colder between cletus and charles.title: snow - ricky montgomery
Relationships: Charles/Cletus (Tales from the SMP)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Anonymous





	and i'll always be that short little gloat, always clearing his throat, like he ever had something to say

**Author's Note:**

> um i dont see enough of charles x cletus (or any the lost city of mizu fanfic in general) so i am going to Make It Myself. i wrote this at like 4 am??? 5 am??? in between work because im very hyperfixated on the lost city of mizu and the dream smp i really like these characters a lot curse you karl jacobs for making them one time characters /lh  
> ALSO SPEAKING OF CHARACTERS THESE ARE THE CHARACTERS. NOT THE PEOPLE, I'M NOT GROSS. _I DIDNT PUT RPF FOR A REASON. i literally hate how it generalizes the goddamn tags to quackity and ranboo when you click on the tag like what the fuck i am gonna fistfight someone. /j_  
>  uhh listen to snow by ricky montgomery while reading this it probably ties the vibe together well 👍 my writing is very mediocre but i hope you enjoy this, charlestus nation (even if there's like. 3 of us /j)

the air outside was bitter and cold, the breeze slipping into the house the four friends had built and chilled the two in the room to their bones. once more, during a fishing trip with charles and cletus, the latter had decided to be stubborn.

his fishing rod had broken during the fishing trip, so guess what he decided was the best course of action? obviously, try to grab the fish with his own bare hands from the edge of the boat!

and clearly, the course of action wasn't the best, because he ended up accidentally capsizing the boat and bringing the both of them into the water.

needless to say, the two came home soaking wet, cold, and with no fish.

and here they were now, wrapped in blankets, shivering, and sitting in silence as isaac and benjamin went out instead to fish since the two _clearly_ couldn't do it themselves.

the silence dragged on for a few more minutes before charles finally spoke up. "i mean this in the nicest way possible— that was _the_ stupidest thing you've done," charles scoffed. "one of them, at least."

cletus immediately stood up at that, dropping the blankets off of his shoulders and glaring directly at charles, defensive. "what the fuck— don't fucking call me stupid! i'll kick your ass, charles, i swear—"

"cletus, you made both of us fall into the water and lose the fish we had caught. i kept telling you! 'don't do anything stupid, don't do anything reckless,' and yet there you were, insisting on catching the fish with your _bare hands_ at the edge of the _goddamn boat!_ and now we're here, cold, wet, and making isaac and benji do all the work now on the day _we_ were supposed to fish." charles argued back, standing up to challenge him back.

"come on, isaac and benji never complained about the additional work and you _know_ that, they're willing to do anything! plus, i didn't just want to watch you do all the work! that would've been boring as hell, and i needed something to do!" cletus snapped at charles, stepping forward to provoke him, charles shortly following until they stood face-to-face right in front of each other. "i didn't just want to do _nothing!_ " 

"funny you say _that,_ considering you essentially do _nothing_ all day. they do everything around here, cletus! at least i _actually_ try to help them! most of the time you're just fucking around, annoying us for whatever reason! you're _always_ trying to find a reason to start an argument, for fucks sake! you're constantly acting all high and mighty like you're hot shit or something! i don't even see _why_ you hold yourself so highly in regard, you're constantly so rash and rambunctious and— fucking _annoying!_ god, do you ever just _shut up?!_ " charles retaliated, voice rising in volume at that last sentence. charles' eyes widened slightly upon realizing what he had said, staring down at cletus, the shorter man meeting his gaze with the same amount of wide-eyed shock, one that quickly became fury as cletus shoved charles and stepped back.

"say that again. _i fucking dare you._ "

"cletus, no, wait—"

"what're you gonna say, 'i didn't mean it like that' or something?" cletus seethed, voice dripping with hurt and anger, taking on a mocking tone as he said 'i didn't mean it like that.' "don't even fucking _lie_ to me, dude, stop trying to make yourself seem like a fucking _goody-two-shoes!_ do you think you're so superior just because you're fucking _nice,_ huh? think you're so fucking _righteous_ for caring and shit when, in reality, you're not much better than _me_ because of what you just fucking _said_ to me! don't even hit me with that 'high and mighty' accusation _bullshit,_ you're _no fucking better!_ " cletus exploded, fury and frustration bursting forth as if the emotional dam inside him had broken. he felt exposed without his scarf and goggles shielding his expression— for once, his emotions and facial expressions were on full display and he _hated_ it. tears burned his eyes despite how cold he felt, his face growing hot with tears and threatening to spill. 

"cletus, i—"

"shut the _fuck up,_ for once, and let me fucking _speak!_ you want to know the reason why i always act so— so fuckin' _righteous_ and shit constantly? you really want to fuckin' know? i act like i'm better than everyone not because i _think_ i am, but it's because i _know_ that _everyone else_ is better than me, charles! i'm _aware_ the others are better than me, that they've done more shit than i _ever_ could've done or would _ever_ achieve! as if benjamin hasn't made that shit clear as fuckin' _day_ to me! he's always been praised for being the good son, he's _always_ outshone me in everything he's done, and here i fucking am, living in his goddamn _shadow!_ my entire fucking _life_ i've believed i was always the worst one out of everything, so guess _what?_ i _pretend_ like i'm better than everyone because that's the only fucking way i can feel _good_ about myself at all!"

"the funniest thing is that you're not— you're not even fucking concerned for _me!—_ "

" _yes i was, cletus!_ "

cletus's mouth clamped shut as charles had yelled those words. the silence was deafening as the two stood there once more, a few moments feeling like forever before charles sighed and began once more. "i wasn't— overworking benjamin and isaac wasn't my main concern at all. and me calling you stuck up and all that was a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing, and i regret saying it almost as much as it affected you, and i'm sorry for that. it's— god, cletus, i was concerned about _you,_ more than anything. you could've fucking drowned, cletus, and you, just— sitting in the cold like this, soaking wet? you could get sick, and _god knows_ what could happen if you got sick! you could catch a cold, and then develop pneumonia or something, and _no one here_ knows how we'd be able to treat that! you— cletus, you could've _died._ and i wouldn't— i wouldn't know how to cope with it. that's why i'm so fucking angry, that's why i'm so concerned— you're being so reckless constantly, and that could very well get you _killed_ one day." charles gushed, avoiding all eye contact with cletus. "i just— i don't want to lose you, alright? even if you get on my nerves sometimes— actually, a lot of the time— you're still my best friend. hell, i'm probably closer to _you_ than i am to anyone else here."

"you're not useless, cletus. if you were really useless, we probably would've left you a long time ago. but we didn't, and you know why? you still have value. and that's not just because you're my best friend, but it's also because you've got more guts than any of us ever will. if no one else is willing to take the fall, you'll certainly do it. and if you get hurt? hell, you'll just laugh it off. cletus, you're— you're stronger than you think you are, really. reckless, yes, but brave. and i'd be lying if i said you didn't make us smile. benjamin may be pretty smart and caring, yeah, but there's no one who can take risks and make us laugh like you." charles finished, heaving out another sigh and sitting back down on the bed, picking the blankets off of the ground and haphazardly draping it over himself.

cletus stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment. he stared for a long time, and he subconsciously found his eyes tracing his expression, the way water droplets dripped from his hair, how his caramel locks clung to his face, how his soaked shirt clung to his upper body and didn't leave much of his form up to the imagination, how his toned arms lightly grabbed at the blanket wrapped around his body, shaking slightly with the chill.

 _god_ , why did he have to be so fucking _pretty?_ in a moment like _this?_

charles was left feeling mildly uneasy with how long cletus was staring him down, the long silence settled heavily between the two, the only thing being heard in the room were the howls of the cold storm outside. "cletus, i know i shouldn't— i shouldn't have said that, really, would you please forgive me or say something at least—" charles was quickly cut off by lips against his, his face being grabbed gently and slightly tilted upwards to catch him in a kiss from the brunette. he was taken aback at first, wide-eyed once more before he quickly melted into the kiss, tilting his head into the soft kiss before the two pulled away, cletus's face flushed. 

"cletus..."

"i know. it was pretty gay," he laughed, almost a bit nervously. it was charles's turn to stare, gaze flickering across the features of cletus's face, tracing the contours of his face with his eyes and observing how his hair was starting to dry, but still remained damp and wet. cletus refused to meet charles' gaze, but charles still continued to observe cletus in awe, drawn in by his gray eyes. cletus quickly pulled him out of his trance one more by sighing and beginning to speak. "god, why did i do that? you have a _wife_ , for fucks sake—" he muttered, partially to himself, partially to charles. "charles— i'm sorry, i shouldn't have done that, you— i— you probably don't even _like_ me that way. god, i'm so sorry, i fucked it all up, didn't i, god, i'm fucking _disgusting—_ "

" _cletus_."

cletus looked over for a split second before looking back away, still refusing to make eye contact with charles. however, he felt his face being grabbed gently and turned to slightly look upwards and directly towards charles. in the next moment, he felt lips press against his again, gentler and softer than the last, almost a ghost of a kiss. momentarily, he hesitated before reciprocating the kiss with the same amount of gentleness, shockingly enough for someone like him. charles pulled away once more and stared into cletus's eyes, hand moving up to hold his cheek. "cletus. if you really think i don't like you like _that,_ then why else would i kiss you?" charles asked, voice quiet and almost a whisper.

"i don't know, i'm not a damn mind reader. a pity kiss, i guess," cletus shrugged, finally summoning the smallest bit of courage to at least lock eyes with charles, staring right back into his blue eyes. _he's so pretty, especially up close._ well— he was _always_ pretty, cletus thought, admiring the taller male in front of him, who was gazing right back at him with one of the softest, most loving stares he's ever felt. it was enough to make cletus believe he was dreaming— this entire situation felt surreal, he had to reality check himself for a moment. he found that this moment was _real—_ every moment of it, the kisses, the stares. he wasn't dreaming. this was all real.

"a pity kiss? really?" charles scoffed with a smile, almost in playful disbelief. "you really _are_ stubborn, huh?" charles softly chuckled. "how many kisses is it going to take for me to convince you that i genuinely love you?"

love you.

_love you._

_i love you._

cletus's heart soared in his chest at those words. he knew the answer to that question; none, really, because that was all charles needed to say to have him sold. but, he only grinned his usual smug, playful grin, slightly leaning his face into charles' hand. "i don't know, would you like to find out?" cletus replied, followed with a laugh from charles.

"as many as it takes, then," charles murmured, beginning to leave kisses all over cletus's face, the shorter male laughing, face flushed once more, allowing himself to be peppered with kisses before gently placing a hand on charles' cheek, chuckling.

"alright, alright, i'm convinced, i'm convinced!" cletus smiled, charles grinning back at him.

"you better be," charles beamed, giving him one last kiss on the lips before pulling away and patting the spot next to him on the bed, inviting cletus to sit with him. cletus followed, sitting down next to him, and charles wrapped the other side of the blanket around him, pulling him closer as the two shared the blanket. their concerns melted away like the sun shining on snow, and the outside world would be the least of their concerns for as long as they could stay in this moment. they had some things to work through, sure, but they'd do it together.

it's cold outside. but, inside, with just charles and cletus, it was warm.


End file.
